Nicer nose

The front end of the 2012 Civic was... OK. It looked like Civic. Nothing too exciting but, hey, it was a Civic.

Well, a little excitement certainly can't hurt. The new 2013 adds a dash of drama with a new chrome grill and extended aerodynamic sills at the corners that give the car a sharper edge while it making it seem a tad wider, too. The basic idea is to make the car seem a notch or two above its price class, and Honda's pulled off nicely.